Internal-combustion engine.



A. SGHMID.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE- APPLICATION FILED AUG 15 1911.

1,121,135. Patented Dec.15,1914-.

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j gww Inventor 1 n wwkzzum/ MWM A. SGHMID. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I5.19H.

1,121,1 85. Patented De0.15,1914.

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Wnwsm: lnvmar: L p z/V if C wal a? mwa a m wg UNETED dllh id ALBERT scmam, or HAVRE, FRANCE.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1.5., 191%.

Application filed August 15, 1911. Serial No. 644,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT Serrano, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Havre, in the Republic of France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention, which constitutes the subject matter oi? this application relates to an internal combustion engine and the method of operating the same, and has to do with that type of engine whichis designed to use comparatively heavy, not readily inflammable, liquid fuel.

The object of the invention is to provide an engine of the above character and a method of operating the same at high speeds, said engine being flexible as regards speed and torque characteristics, light in weight, and of simple and cheap construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine of the above kind which may be readily started without complicated and expensive auxiliary starting apparatus.

In one well known type of internal combustion engine using a heavy grade of liquid fuel, the compression of the air in the cylinder is carried to a very high point in order to obtain the heat necessary for the ignition of the fuel. A compression as high as 600 lbs. to the square inch is quite usual in engines of this character, and ow-. ing to this high compression the construction of the engine and the wei ht of the reciprocating parts must be very eavv with the result that such engines are not adapted to be run at high speeds nor are they very flexible as regards variation in speed. Fun.

ther disadvantages are experienced with this type of engine due to the auxiliary apparatus required for starting and operating the same.

Another well known type combustion engine also using uid fuel but a less degree of com ression has the disadvantage of being di cult to start owing to the combustion chamber or carbureter having to be initially heated by some auxiliary means. This type of engine is not flexible as regards speed and torque characteristics, as at slow speeds the combustion chamber or carburetor frequently becomes insufiiciently heated to secure the proper ignition and combustion of the explosive mixture.

According to the present invention in of internal heavy liqaddition to the heavy not readily inflammable liquid fuel injected into the cylinder, which produces the greater part of the power ordinarily developed by the engine, a mixture of light easily inflammableliquid fuel with an excess of air is admitted to the cylinder through a carburetor. The ignition and combustion of the total charge in the cylinder is in this way readily obtained without carrying the compression in the cylinder beyond a moderate degree and the necessity for initially heating a part of the combustion chamber or carburcter and maintaining the same hot whilst'the engine is running, is avoided. The total weight of the engine may thus be kept low as the parts do not have to withstand a high compression and auxiliary starting apparatus is not required, the en ine being readily started on the light fuel only in a similar way to the ordinary petrol motor. Great flexibility as regards speed is attained as at light or no load the engine may be run at a low speed on the light fuel only.

The proportions which the two qualities offuel used bear to one another will depend upon a variety of circumstances and must be modified and adjusted until the best effect is secured. It will generally be found desirable, however, to use no more of the light readily inflammable fuel than will secure proper ignition of the mixture in the cylinder.

The fuel admission devices are so arranged that the light fuel and air is introduced into the cylinder during the suction or equivalent stroke of the engine, and the heavy fuel is injected or sprayed into the cylinder either before, at the same time as,

or subsequent to the mixture of light fuel and air. In any case the injection of the heavy fuel is arranged to take place before the ignition of the charge of light fuel and air and preferably during the suction stroke of the piston or during the early part of the compression stroke thereof in order to avoid the necessity of injecting the liquid fuel into the cylinder when any considerable pressure exists therein.

At starting or when the enriue is running at low loads means are pro ided whereby the supply of heavy li uid fuel to the cylinder may be cut oil. uch means may for example consist of a suitable valve located at a convenient point in the fuel supply system or the actuating mechanism for the fuel admission device may be thrown out of operation in any well known way.

In order that the nature of the invention may be clearly understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of exampleonly, an engine arranged to operate in accordance with the invention, Figure 1 being a vertical longitudinal section and 2 a verticalcross section on the line IIII of Fig. 1.

The heavy not readily inflammable liquid fuel (crude petroleum for example) is led from a receptacle 3 through a pipe 4: to a pump 5 driven by gearing 6'from the shaft of the engine by means of which it is forced liquid fuel through pipes 7 and 8 and inlet .valves 9, 9 into the cylinders 10. The inlet valves 9, are arranged to be operated at the proper times through levers 11, rods 12 and cams (not shown) on-the cam shaft 13 in the well own way. The light easily inflammable (petrol for example) is led from another receptacle 14 through a pipe 15 to a suitable carbureter 16 and is drawn through pipe 17 past the inlet valve 18 by usual way. The amount of air contained in the mixture drawn into the cylinder through the carbureter 16 is preferably largely in excess of the quantity necessary for the combustion of the light liquid fuel contained in this mixture. The inlet valve 18 and. the exhaust valve 20 are respectively operated by levers 21, 22 and rods 23, 24: from the cam, shafts 13 in the well known way. Each of the cylinders 10 is provided with similar inlet and exhaust valves so that both of them may be supplied with explosive mixture .from the carbureter 16.

' 25, 25 indicate electrical igniting devices of any suitable character.

, v e operation is as follows :A charge of light, liquid fuel mixed with air is drawn valve 18'into the cylinder 10 by the suction stroke of the piston 19 which latter on its return stroke compresses the mixture which is then ignited by the device 25. The combustion of this mixture furnishes the heat necessary for the ignition of the heavy liquid fuel which has been injected into the 19 in the" from the carbureter '16 through the inlet amines type and electrical ignition has been described by way of example only and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to any particular type of internal combustion engine as several known types of such engines may be adapted thereto. For instance the engine may have one or a plurality of cylinders and may be arranged to operate on the two or on the four stroke cycle and the heavy fuel and light liquid fuel mixed with air may be admitted to the. cylinder by other means than the mechanically operated inlet valves shown and described herein, also any method of ignition may be employed for the charge of air and light combustible liquid fuel. The engine may be governed in various ways by varying the amount of heavyliquid fuel injected or sprayed into .the cylinder or by variation in the amount or proportions of the charge of air and light combustible liquid admitted to the cylinder or by varying the momentof ignition 0f the latter or by two or more of these methods in combination. V

Owing to the comparatively low compression in the cylinder of an engine operated in accordance with the present invention, the

reciprocating and other parts of the engine can be made comparatively light with the result that the engine may be operated at high speeds, and is very flexible as regards speed and torque characteristics. Further, the employment, of an explosive mixture consisting of air and a light easily inflammable liquid fuel with the consequent reduction in the degree of compression necessary in the cylinder, enablesenginescperated in accordance with'this invention, those of comparatively small started without the use of air pumps 01" other auxiliary starting means but in engines of large size it may be found desirable to use compressed air or other additional starting apparatus in the well known way. Another advantage possessed by engines operated in accordancewith this invention is that they may be readily made reversible.

Although'not limited in this respect engines arranged to operate in accordance with this invention are especially suitable for purposes of transport, such as the propulsion of automobiles, commercial motor vehicles, ships, boats, and so forth as such engines are of comparatively light weight, are simple'in construction and readily started, have a Very wide range of speed and are economical as regards fuel consumption.

I claim as'my invention:

1. The method of operating an internal combustion engine by two kinds of fuel, one of which is a. light easily inflammable liquid fuel and the other of which is a heavy not easily inflammable liquid fuel, by causing size, to be the light easily inflammable liquid fuel together with a volume of air in excess of that necessary for its combustion to be drawn into the engine cylinder through a carbureter during the suction stroke of the engine, and the heavy not easily inflammable liquid fuel to be sprayed directly into the engine cylinder between the beginning of the suction and completion of compression but prior to ignition.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a supply of light easily inflammable liquid fuel, means between said supply and the engine cylinder adjusted to rdeliver to the cylinder :1 charge of such fuel mixed with a volume of air in excess of that necessary for its combustion, an ignition de vice for said charge, a supply of comparatively heavy not easily inflammable liquid fuel, and means for spraying such fuel directly into the engine cylinder between the beginning of the suction and the completion of compression and before ignition.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3rd day of August 1911.

ALBERT SCHMID.

\Vitnesses:

CONSTANT GUE'Ianao, FERNAND CARDIF. 

